Pervez Musharraf will be arrested as soon as he returns: Pak
Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, a special prosecutor for the Federal Investigation Agency, said Musharraf would be arrested irrespective of whether he returned to Pakistan before or after the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the next general election.
Musharraf had announced last week that he intends to return to Pakistan a week after the installation of the interim administration to lead his party in the polls.
The Pakistan Peoples Party-led government will complete its term on March 16 and the caretaker set-up is expected to be formed the same day.
Ali
told
the
media
that
the
anti-terrorism
court
had
issued
perpetual
warrants
for
Musharraf
and
he
could
not
evade
the
Criminal
Procedure
Code,
which
demanded
his
immediate
arrest.
The
court
issued
the
warrants
and
declared
Musharraf
a
"proclaimed
offender"
or
fugitive
after
he
refused
to
cooperate
with
investigators
probing
the
assassination
of
former
premier
Benazir
Bhutto.
Prosecutors have accused Musharraf of failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto when she returned to Pakistan from self-exile in 2007.
As a fugitive, Musharraf will not be entitled to any relief unless he surrenders to a court of competent jurisdiction.
Musharraf will be treated in accordance with relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 and produced in the anti-terrorism court after his arrest, Ali said.
Musharraf would be able to avoid arrest if he obtains protective or transitory bail from any High Court, Ali said.
PTI